Ethiopian-Israelis seek US intervention against Ethiopian government

(The Jerusalem Post)— Around one hundred Israelis of Ethiopian decent gathered in front of the US embassy on Monday in hopes of urging the US government to stop supporting the Ethiopian government, which they contend is oppressive and anti-democratic.

“The United States must condemn the murders of Ethiopian citizens,” protestor Endalamaw Hailei told the Post, “I joined because I care about Ethiopia.”

Anti-government protests in the Oromira and Amhara regions of Ethiopia began in November 2015, since then over 400 Ethiopians have been killed in clashes with the government according to Human Rights Watch.

Israel’s Ethiopian community numbers some 140,000 many of whom still have family in Ethiopia.

According to protestors the decision to picket the US Embassy in Tel Aviv and not the Ethiopian Embassy is because they believe that only the US government can influence Ethiopian government.

Avraham, who declined to state his last name, has a sister and three nephews in Ethiopia. “We are here to influence the US government to stop the oppression in Ethiopia. People are dying over nothing,” he said, “I worry about my family there all the time.”